SA Logue Chooses Surrogate Team for African Continent’s Support

It’s over for Africa at the World Cup, after Ghana gave it their Round of 16 best with a splendid display of flair-filled football, but were gutted by Brazil anyway.

Though the continent licks its wounds, it hasn’t forgotten its love for the beautiful game, and will most certainly be up for more soccer action come Friday.

But we need a new team to support – vicarious thrills are better than none, after all. SA Logue considers the options:

England and Germany can be ruled out immediately, the former because all of the Commonwealth (past and present) belongs to the ABE club – “Anyone But England” – the latter because of the German soccer federation’s shenanigans during its bid for this year’s World Cup, which South Africa lost by one vote under highly dubious circumstances in 1999.

Italy and Ukraine aren’t really contenders for Africa’s support, either, because they’re both playing flair-free football and we need to yell a bit when we watch our new team.

That leaves Argentina, Brazil, France and Portugal (in alphabetical order) to consider. They all have their merits – not excluding a penchant for fielding people of African descent – and in truth Africa would be happy to see any one of these lift the cup.

But a choice must be made, and of these four, it is the team of Patrick Viera (born in Senegal), Zinedine Zidane (“grandson” of French Algeria), and Thierry Henry (smoothest man in world football) that gets the nod. France played formidable Spain with renewed vigor last night – it was like the champions of 1998 out there – which augurs well for much vicarious pleasure to come.

So it’s Vive la France! on SA Logue from now on.

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Erm, how come Africa always has to play Brazil?